News of the Week: Sazerac Distillery wins first approval

Apr 26, 2018 at 02:50 pm by Michelle Willard


Surprising no one, the Murfreesboro City Council approved plans Thursday, April 19, to build a whiskey distillery in Murfreesboro.

The Sazerac Company plans to build a $86 million liquor-making facility on 55 acres on Asbury Lane off Medical Center Parkway. The neighbors are not pleased with the prospect but that didn't stop the City Council from giving its preliminary approval on a 5-1 vote.

The Murfreesboro Post reported the second and final reading has not been set yet because the fire department has some issues to iron out. 

The sole dissenting vote was Councilman Bill Shacklett, who explained his vote by citing the problems alcoholism presents to society writ large.

In defense of the City Council, Tennessee state law requires more than neighbor anger as a reason for denying a development that meets all other requirements, which this seems to do. 

Rutherford County learned this lesson the hard way. Just ask Doug Demosi or Ernest Burgess.

RELATED: News of the Week: Murfreesboro City Council defers vote on whiskey distillery

RELATED: 4 things to know about the planned whiskey distillery on Asbury Road

School Board agrees to pay Spurlock $156K

The Rutherford County School Board came to a decision on the contract to hire Oakland High Principal Bill Spurlock as the next director of schools, The Daily News Journal reported.

The high points are the contract will last until June 30, 2021; his annual salary will be $156,316; he must establish goals by September; and he gets 24 days of paid time off every year.

The contract passed in a 5-2 vote.

RELATED: RCS approves draft contract for Spurlock

RELATED: News of the Week: Oakland Principal Bill Spurlock tapped for top schools job

Mike Sparks gets shamed in committee

The effort by Bill Ketron and Mike Sparks to use state money from the War Between the States Preservation Fund to buy the Johns-King House in Smyrna fell short in committee.

According to the TN Journal, House Finance Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, accused Sparks of trying to take an end-around the state budget process.

“You need to go through the same process that everyone else goes through and if yours doesn’t make it on the list that gets get chosen, you don’t need to go to your state senator and ask him to over everyone’s head,” McCormick said. “Because we really react negatively to that.”

Sparks argued before agreeing to take the bill off notice. (In a Sparks-like move, he continued talking until his mic was turned off and was ultimately gaveled down by McCormick.)

Family of woman killed in 2016 high-speed chase crash given $613K

According to the Post, the family of Jessica Campos will receive $613,000 after a lawsuit involving Rutherford County was settled.

The family had sought $10 million in the civil suit stemming from a crash on South Church Street near Barfield.

The chase, which originated in Manchester, involved officers from Rutherford and Coffee counties who were pursuing Gareion Simmons, who was suspected of stealing a car from the Manchester Funeral Home. Simmons was charged with vehicular homicide and first-degree murder. His next court date is May 30.

Saint Thomas Health Hosts Murfreesboro Medical Mission at Home this weekend

Saint Thomas Health told WGNS it will host a free health care clinic from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 28 at Holloway High School.

The Saint Thomas Health Medical Mission at Home is partnering with 15 community organizations to provide free medical care including pharmacy services, dental services, mammography screening, vision services, foot and wound care, lab services, and behavioral medicine. More than 300 volunteers from Saint Thomas Health, including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, chaplains, senior leaders and other hospital staff, will participate.

Visit the Murfreesboro Medical Mission at Home event page on Facebook to learn more. 

Other stuff

Trial date set for suspect in 2015 shooting death of Murfreesboro man (DNJ)

OPINION - Lamar Alexander: 3 ways a federal bill will help fight the opioid crisis (WGNS)

Public meeting set for Center Hill Dam Modification Study (WGNS)

County to get additional circuit court judgeship (Mboro Post

County looking for new trash solutions (Mboro Post)

Legislature approves alcohol sales at MTSU, TSU campus sports events (TN Journal


 

 

Sections: Other News